The Board denied a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and remanded several issues related to interstitial lung disease, psychiatric disability, fatigue, vertigo, muscle disability, Raynaud's phenomenon, gastrointestinal disability, difficulty swallowing, headache, skin disability, blurred vision, upper respiratory symptoms, and vertigo as secondary conditions.

The deciding factor: The March 2024 VA examination did not address all required criteria under Diagnostic Code 6831 for the ILD disability, necessitating a remand to ensure compliance with rating criteria.

Claimed conditions

right ear hearing loss, interstitial lung disease (ILD), anti-synthetase syndrome, acquired psychiatric disability, to include depression, anxiety, difficulty with memory, brain fog, and decreased cognition, fatigue (also described as decreased energy), vertigo (also described as light headedness), muscle disability, to include myositis, muscle spasms, muscle pain, and chest pain, Raynaud's phenomenon of the bilateral hands and feet, gastrointestinal disability, to include gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (also described as acid reflux and heartburn), nausea, and vomiting, difficulty swallowing, headache disability, skin disability, to include rashes and itchy skin, blurred vision, upper respiratory symptoms, to include dry and sore throat, dry cough, runny nose, and post-nasal drip

How they argued it

Secondary to another service-connected condition

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

May 15, 2025

Citation

A25043652